Losing weight and going to the gym are the most common resolutions for the New Year, what with the holiday weight gain and all the booze we allowed ourselves during the Christmas season.
So as a brand new year starts, it’s not a surprise that gym memberships increase, as do balik-alindog resolutions.
To kickstart our workout routines, we thought it best to consult with fitness experts to not only help us hit our fitness goals, but to also ensure we are getting the most from our gym time.
1. Start your day with a workout
Weightlifter and training coach J-LO Bermundo says morning is the best time to exercise. “It is the time of day when you have the greatest energy, because you have not yet completed any other duties,” Bermundo said.
Besides, performing physical activity in the morning will give you an energy boost throughout the day.
A 2020 study published at the National Library of Medicine revealed consistent morning exercise improves weight management among adults with obesity.
For fitness coach Daniel Hilaria, meanwhile it doesn’t really matter what time of the day you workout, as long as get an intense physical activity at the end of the day.
“The only way you can say it’s not effective is if walang intensity or intent sa workout. So it’s a matter of how you do it more than what time you do it,” he explained.
2. Lift weights
Whether you want to lose weight, have a toned figure or get rid of those unwanted body rolls, Bermundo said it is good to focus on weight training like doing squats, pushups or lunges.
It is also good to increase strength on lifting weights and avoid doing too much cardio.
Fitness coach Daniel Hilaria echoed Bermundo, saying lifting weights is the key to achieve that fitness goal.
“I think what people don’t see is you have to really lift weights, or gain strength to lose weight. Kasi ang ginagawa mo — you’re not replacing fat with muscles — but you’re building muscles that allow you to recompose your body. So kailangan mong mag-build ng muscle,” he said.
3. Careful with cardio
According to Hilaria, doing cardio exercises like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is important because they will bring up your heart rate, and they can help you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
But do so on bare minimum because cardio exercises can also increase our cortisol levels, or our stress hormones.
“Kasi kung mag-HIIT ka palagi, yung cortisol levels mo naman yung tataas, yung stress levels mo tataas. Minsan yun din yung cause of weight gain,” Hilaria explained.
The fitness advocate suggests for a relaxed cardio workout, like brisk walking.
4. Protein is life (and some complex cardio)
Look out: Working out will make you hungrier because your body will be consuming more energy, Bermundo said.
If losing weight is your objective for working out, then consider eating more protein like chicken and eggs and complex carbohydrates.
“You really don’t have to complicate things, just eat meals rich in protein. Consume more protein since it’s slower to digest and also provides a sense of being full longer,” he said.
As for carbohydrates, stick to whole foods, and “as much as possible avoid processed foods,” he advised.
5. Abs are made in the kitchen
If you’re looking to have 6-pack abs, you might want to look at what you’re eating, too.
“I would honestly say that abs are made in the kitchen. So if abs are made in the kitchen, it means it’s a diet thing. So you have to eat really clean, you have to eat on a deficit,” he explained.
Per Hilaria, everyone has abs but for it to be visible, one must have around 8-12% body fat.
6. Water and muscle weight make us weigh more
If you noticed you’re not losing weight despite working out, don’t worry.
According to Hilaria, it may be caused by certain factors like water intake. “Example, tumakbo ka. After mo tumakbo siyempre iinom ka ng maraming water so you feel heavy,” the strength and endurance coach explained.
Weigh gain can also be caused by water retention, which occurs when the body is unable to maintain fluid levels.
Meanwhile, another factor to consider is muscle. Muscles and fat weigh about the same, but they look very different, so you could already be looking toned and still weigh the same.
That’s a good sign, Bermundo said, because you’re already developing muscles and shedding fat.
“When you’re gaining muscle kasi, you [might think] you’re not losing weight kasi tumataas yung timbang mo or nag-maintain ka, but technically it’s just the weight of the muscle,” he said.
“If you think you’re not shedding fat because you’re not losing weight, it’s very different since fat and muscle weigh the same but have a big difference when it comes to size,” the professional athlete explained.
7. Rest is King
As much as we want to grind harder to achieve that fitness goal, it’s important to rest.
“The body needs to recover eh. So counterintuitive or counterproductive na mag-workout ka when your body is feeling down,” Hilaria explained.
“When you train hard you have to recover harder or else you don’t gain anything,” he added.
Rest days are the most vital aspect of fitness, Bermundo adds, because it’s the time where our body grows, gains muscles, and gets stronger.
Apart from helping our bodies prepare for the next workout session, “giving yourself a rest day also allows you to gain more and get more out of your workouts,” he said.
So if you’re coming off a night late at work, consider sleeping in instead of working.
“It is better to get enough sleep first because working out without enough sleep or rest can cause more harm than good,” he shared, adding that “working out without proper recovery can cause more body fatigue.”
— LA, GMA Integrated News
